Book Review 2025.11: The Road Less Travelled, A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth (1980), Paperback 3114 pages, July 5, 2025
Acting on my new year resolution for 2025 to re-read some of the classics in my library, I picked up this book. Purchased more than twenty years ago, I had only scanned through it. Maybe it is my age or the time I have on hand now that made me introspect and reflect on many of the ideas explored in this book making this reading very enriching. All said and done, I am the richer for it and hopefully it will make me more graceful being are aware of all the blessing which I have might be taking for granted.
To the curious readers I must upfront state that the road less travelled explored by the author is the road towards spiritual growth. Spiritual growth not viewed from a narrow religious facet, but a more comprehensive and enriching outlook of life. Though the author views spiritual growth primarily with a Western Christian lens, there is enough material for introspection and reflection to enrich the readers lives as the author briefly touches upon the eastern philosophies, especially Hindu and Buddhist viewpoints that substantiate the author’s learnings. Viewing science as a religion limited by its obsession with facts, and coupled with an unwillingness to accept anything that it cannot explain as scientific, the author explores some of the life experiences that are beyond scientific enquiry as on date like premotion, and extra sensory perceptions that is in the realm of sub-consciousness.
In addition to its enlightening content, a highlight of this book is its logical structure. What stands out is the smooth flow from one topic to another, an excellent paragraph summarizing its content to conclude each of the initial chapters, stating uncomfortable or contestable opinions without sugar coating thereby ensuring objectivity, a critical evaluation of religion including their limitations, outlining the limitations of science due to its sole dependence of facts are some of the highlights.
Despite its richness, I felt the absence of eastern philosophies in providing a comprehensive view of the key concepts discussed of discipline, responsibility, love and spiritual growth to be limiting the perspective from what the reader would have otherwise got. Notwithstanding this limitation, the book is a valuable read for those exploring the concept of love and self-discipline. The exploration of grace and the idea that the goal of evolution is for human to become God, not God-like but God will linger in the readers mind long after they have put the book down.
Happy reading as we explore life in all its aspects -physical, material and spiritual.
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